Tag: death star

Why Allegiant Stadium shares a nickname with the Death Star from Star Wars, explained

Some people think it looks more like a giant Roomba vacuum cleaner, though.

Allegiant Stadium, the host of the 2024 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, is a very beautiful place.

Thanks to Raiders owner Mark Davis, the stadium also happens to have a nickname inspired by the Star Wars film series. That is because the first time Davis welcomed the players to the stadium back in 2020, he referred to it as the Death Star. Via ESPN, he said:

“Welcome to the Death Star, where our opponents’ dreams come to die.”

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ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez said that he told Davis that the Death Star was blown up multiple times throughout the Star Wars series. But that didn’t matter at all to Davis, who still thinks the $1.9 billion stadium bared a resemblance to the Death Star due to its sleek black and grey facade.

Ethan Miller – Getty Images

Despite the unfortunate fate of the Death Star in the Star Wars movies, this nickname is an identity that the team has embraced. During NFL games as recently as this season, the video board at the stadium has read “Welcome to the Death Star” with players holding light sabers.

Lucasfilms

Jon Gruden, who was the head coach of the Raiders (for the second time) from 2018 until 2021, said that it was a “cool name” for the stadium and that he did not “give a damn” about Star Wars.

Johnathan Abram, a former safety for the Raiders, also described the stadium as the Death Star when he discussed it with NFL.com’s Ian Rapaport.

Even if you think this place looks more like a giant Roomba vacuum, the team has landed on The Death Star as its chosen nickname.

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Raiders owner Mark Davis gets Star Wars history wrong in new stadium opening statement

Raiders owner Mark Davis may be all about the Death Star, but Star Wars history should tell him to pick a more successful metaphor.

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis, the son of the late Al Davis, is obviously very excited about his team’s new home. Allegiant Stadium, the $1.84 billion facility that is the final result of the former Oakland/Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders’ move to Las Vegas, opened Friday for the team’s first practice there, and Davis was overjoyed.

Of course, that’s no excuse for getting one’s Star Wars history wrong.

“Greetings,” Davis said to his players on Friday. “Welcome to the Death Star, where our opponent’s dreams come to die. My father always said that the greatness of the Raiders is in its future. Well, today, that future really starts. This magnificent stadium was built on the backs of thousands of players, coaches, administrators, and fans, who for the last 60 years have proudly worn the Silver and Black. This is our field of dreams. This is our house. The stadium’s personality will be defined by you, so take pride every time you step on this field wearing these famed black jerseys and silver helmets. You are the Raiders.

“There are many personal accomplishments out here on this field. Someone on this field today will make the first tackle, somebody will score the first touchdown, and somebody will make the first interception, but most importantly, it is what we do as a team. So, I will leave you with three words, ‘Just Win, Baby.” Welcome home.”

Stirring stuff indeed, but as ESPN’s Kevin Seifert pointed out, things never worked out in the end for the guys in charge of the actual Death Star.

Canonically accurate, indeed. And unfortunately accurate in a football sense, given the franchise’s one playoff appearance since 2003 (a wild-card loss to the Texans at the end of their 2016 season), and two straight losing seasons under head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock. The Raiders are making strides toward being consistently competitive for the first time in a long time, but it behooves the team’s owner to go back through the Star Wars franchise of movies and re-learn what happened to the people in charge of the Death Star… every… single… time.